Middle Ages tech tree- what gives??

[Pook]

I'm playing C3C 1.22 emperor level with no mods, as the English in the Middle Ages- first time I've played this scenario. Although I'm playing one of the Christian powers, I researched "Byzantine Ingenuity" from the Byzantine tech tree. 40 turns later, I discover this tech, but I can't build a dromon, even with tar listed in the resource box of a coastal city. The turn after, the Bulgars trade me "Lost Roman Secrets", also from the Byzantine tech tree, and suddenly I can build aqueducts.
What gives? Why is it that in one case, I can build something that's not in my tech tree and in one case I can't? Please help.

 

[Garbarsardar.jr]

Dromon is a Byzantine UU(unique unit). Dont worry you'll have Man-o-war soon...

 

[Vizurok]

Man-O-War?
He speaks about the Middle ages conquest...
But it's right, you only boat is curraugh, and at the last age, galley.
About research: I would advise researching norse tradititon, then Smithing, build Blacksmiths, then go for the normal techs, and finally teh Christian tree.

 

[Pook]

Thanks Vizurok for the advice on the tech tree. I really wanted the Dromon because in this scenario it has a transport capacity of 4. Even though I'm leading right now (on turn 92 of a 204 turn game), I still have this Quixotic notion of taking the Holy Grail back to Jerusalem for the 10,000 bonus points. To do that I need to transport a sizable army all the way across the map. The ideal solution would be a Viking longboat (transport 4, move 7), but they're not available to me either. Oh well....

 

[Vizurok]

You will have to wait for galleys... but curraughs are upgradeable!

 

[warpstorm]

A masochist, playing as the English. Beware, your lead can evaporate once the wars start all over Europe.

I remember a great succession game as the Celts (kind of like the English, but with no artifact, and no preferred flavor techs) where we returned 2 artifacts 3 turns before the end to pull out a victory.

 

[Pook]

My family is English, so I picked them for my first time playing this scenario. Things are still going well. I'm in the early 1300s, a little over halfway through, and I'm in second place in points, with the Abbasids in the lead.
The first thing I did was to slaughter the Celts and drive all 3 brands of Vikings (Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian) out of the British Isles. I then took Brittany which the Swedes had occupied after the Celts folded. The next part of my evil plan was to get a launching pad for the eventual Quixotic mission to Jerusalem. I did a reverse Spanish armada, invading Castile. After a lengthy war, Isabella is dead, and I'm mopping up the Castilians now. Cordova is next. I have been ignoring all tribute demands except those from the French (which, being of English heritage, really hurts). Since the Cordovans have only 5 cities and I already have 3 armies plus knights plus crusaders in Iberia, I don't think it will take that long to crush them if I start with a decent surprise attack.
Taking out those two civs should enable me to catch up in points to the Abbasids, and then I'll launch the Crusade to bring the Holy Grail back to Jerusalem. I figure I'll need at least 3 armies plus 8 knights to take Jerusalem, so I'll have to start with more, and hope that I don't get into too bad of a naval struggle with the Burgundians, Byzantines, or Turks.....

 

[thestonesfan]

One piece of advice...watch out for those #@&%ing invisible assassins.

 

[Pook]

One piece of advice...watch out for those #@&%ing invisible assassins.

Do inquisitors help? I haven't built any yet. I didn't see much utility in a 4-1-1 unit at this stage of the game, but if they'll alert me to evildoers, building a few of them might be worth it.

 

[Theoden]

They can spot the assassins and have attack enough to kill them so they're worth building. Just don't use them in ordinary combat.